The Delta independent., 1887-05-24
Women at tho Polls.


favorable impress on, writes Provi-
dence, r. L. correspondent of The NeU
York Sun. Female political evangel-
ism began under the auspices of the
women's temperance societies. The
work of these associations is in itself a
noble one, and with its motto. "For
God, and Home. and Native Land" it
naturally appeals to the best sentiment
of the better part of the voters The
women organized with thoroughness
that might well evoke the admiratl on
Of veteran political leaders, and,
through the avenues of church and
school, they managed to reach the
greater number of families worth in
fuencing. Some of the rural school
teachers entered into the cause with an
earnestness and decisiveness which
overstepped what seemed to the un-
prejudiced mind to be the legitimate
bounds of their province. and the wri-
ter remembers the surprise with which
child had been directed to write an es-
say on Constitutional Prohibition"
The children were also induced to or
ganize into bands pledged to the cause
Of temperance, and. as 4 consequence.
of prohibition. and the hands of the lit
tie ones brought parents into line.
The next move was on the polls. 1t
was an insidious appeal to the stomach
The women asked the privilege of sup
plying coffee and other refreshments
tree to the voters on election day. OF
course, it was granted. and the new
departure had an excellent influence.
1t kept the electors away from the
crossroads hotels, and tended to make
elections less noisy and demonstrative.
The nat We American is a native gentle
man. however uncouth his native sur
roundings may be. and the presence of
wife or mother has a subduing effect
on the more exuberant phases of poll
tical strife II never saw Hezekiah
luieter." was the remark concerning
an old bachelor farmer who usually
made things exceed ngly lively on
town meeting day. And the same was
said of others of like disposition and
habits. But while the farmers chewed
ham and slipped coff,e, and thanked
the women for the home Ike lunch,
they Little thought what was coming.
The women were satisfied for year
or two with free dining-room and tho
lunch business. They kept away from
the precincts OF the polls. consecrated
from time immemorial to men. Their
next and evidently premeditated move
was on the polling place itself, as dis
tributors of tickets IN favor of prohibi-
tion. 1t took the voters b. surprise,
but it was successful. Children wept
and wives of drunkards pleaded with
them to cast prohibitors ballot, and
women even went so far rs to lead
is known. Prob bition was adopted.
and has in most respects proved an ex-
pensive failure.
This spring the pressure of the
women was vewed with obvious aver
sion. The women representing the
woman-suffrage cause at the polls were
Of excellent families. Indeed. these
movements, both for prohibition and
female suffrage. have been engineered
by social leaders in the respective
localities. Bat. somehow. the hard
headed farmers and mechanics looked
upon the presence of the women rs un-
desirable, anil while they did not mani
fest that view by insult or impudence,
they smoked, wore the hats, and act
ed much as they hal done every town
meeting day since New England town
meetings were organized and smoking
ceased to be violation of puritanical
law. 1t was worthy of note that the
women did not exercise tho shire cwdness
asks n man, to whom, of course she has
been socially Introduced on some pre-
vious occasion. and who is known to
her us a ne ghbor, if not friend. to
vote ticket which she presents She
makes the request directly and perhaps
earnestly, and rs if to comply would be
a personal favor. and the ordinary re-
suit is that she is met with polite
evasion. The male solicitor who knows
his business never approaches voter
in that way. He asks the voter to look
at the ticket, points out its merits and
perhaps calls up some incident which
might prejudice the elector in its be-
half. But-a direct request to vote the
ticket is never made by the worker
who knows what he is about It has a
tendency to excite that mulishness
which, although, commonly dormant,
is ever present,in the Yankee character
and in the races from which the
Yankees .sprang. .'Give the voter his
cud. but let him do his own chewing, +"
is sound rule for those who wish to
carry their points at the polls.
Nevertheless, while as solicitors of
votes women. Judging from Rhode
Island experience. have good deal to
learn. yet it does not follow that there
is any lowering of the tone of woman
hood, any evident violation of the pro-
picties, in their presence in the town
house. any more than in the horse car
Indeed. in the horse-car they are likely
<a ho ;,to ,,,,,I, 49,. -.